“Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”~ Ronald Reagan, Jan. 20, 1981

Saturday, I watched as Washington State’s eleventh Legislative District Republicans held their caucus. If it is any indication of what is to follow we’ll get to watch John McCain defeat Dino Rossi this year.

It was the first of 49 legislative districts to elect delegates to the State Convention (in various ways), thus beginning the second stage of a five-step caucus/convention process to determine who will be our national convention delegates and, hence, to determine which Presidential Candidate gets the most loyal nominating delegates from Washington State. (When Wash. State GOP Chair Luke Esser announced to the Media last February 9th that John McCain had already “won the caucuses”, he was really, really stretching it.) The struggle over the actual process in the 11th was cold-blooded.

Déjà Vu All Over Again

What I watched was simply awash in irony as 11th District Chair Ruth Gibbs, former top secretary for the 1988 Washington State Presidential campaign of Rev. Pat Robertson dished out the same welcome to new Ron Paul Delegates as she and her Pat Robertson Delegates got from the GOP establishment twenty years ago, that is: “Thanks for playing, but this is for insiders only, Please go home, now.”

And, as if that weren’t enough (in the eerie coincidence department) Ruth even used the unethical tactics King County Chair Michael Young had used to torpedo her bid for his Chairmanship in December ’06: insider trading. But this time it was for the benefit of Young himself, and his John McCain campaign. When the cheating starts, the Michael Young/amnesty team always seems to benefit somehow, but this time Ruth Gibbs pulled the trigger. I guess what goes around… uh… keeps going around… if you’re willing to change sides.

Gibbs is still claiming to be a Huckabee supporter, but she ran an all-John McAmnesty District caucus, Saturday. She had gotten to work the precinct caucus lists, leading up to the meeting, that were only available to the McCain campaign (not any other Presidential campaign). McCain even sent her a personal “Thank You” through his proxy speaker at the caucus: “John McCain wants to thank Ruth Gibbs for all her help.” It was so blatant it even embarrassed Ruth into reminding us she was supposed to be for Huckabee (for now.)

Huckabee may still be running, nationwide, but in Washington State his “leaders” are folding up like a political garage sale and are selling out as fast as possible to the McCain Campaign for whatever they can get. Real Huckabee supporters can’t get any campaign help at all out of State Huckabee Chair Joe Fuiten’s office, which appears to be completely motionless.

Ruth has already announced that she will be supporting John McCain in the general election as soon as he gets the nomination, and all her speakers assured us, Saturday, that a McCain nomination is an inevitable formality. Evergreen Freedom Foundation President and former Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Williams promoted McCain and predicted he’ll be the next President. So did 7th U.S. Congressional candidate Steve Beren. And, while they both made technical nods toward “Secure Borders” and against Amnesty, they were both working hard to nominate America’s biggest supporter of Open Borders and Amnesty. Interim County Chair Lori Sotelo was there, running to succeed Michael Young (who has gone full time for McCain) as permanent King County GOP Chair. Lori plugged McCain, too, but then Sotelo has always supported Amnesty as long as you call it something else.

The King County Party Administration is all on the McAmnesty bandwagon (they have been for years) and Ruth Gibbs couldn’t buddy up to them enough on Saturday, toeing the Michael Young line. She spent all her time sitting and talking intimately with them when she wasn’t stampeding back and forth across the caucus floor, looking like she had built up enough steam to put her head down and crash through walls.

I’ve known Ruth Gibbs for 20 years.

When she was running for County Chair she called me on a daily basis (usually several times), asking for help, discussing strategy, trying to coordinate action, and being a guest speaker at a Reagan Wing meeting. Saturday she must have walked right in front of me eight to fifteen times as though I were invisible. She couldn’t recognize me. All her speakers (except Sotelo) did and were cordial as was her husband Jerry. Ruth wouldn’t give me the time of day. She has, as a matter of practice, gone back to work for the pro-abortion, gay rights, pro-amnesty Sotelo administration and can’t look me in the eye.

The Cheating

Imagine that you are a voter and before an election you go to the Secretary of State’s website for information. Imagine that at the top of the website it says “The Washington Secretary of State’s candidate for Governor is Chris Gregoire.” Curious, you go to the official government website of the State Legislature and, at the top it says, “The Washington State Legislature’s choice for Governor is Chris Gregoire.” When you finally go to vote, at your precinct as you sign in, you are handed a piece of paper, printed by the County Department of Elections, at government expense, telling you to vote for Chris Gregoire. Then, as you are standing in line to vote, the election supervisor at that polling place stands up and announces to everyone, “The Department of Elections Recommends you vote for Chris Gregoire.” I ask you: “Is that ethical?

Saturday, Ruth Gibbs, 11th District Leader, acting as the 11th district leader, handed out a flyer called the “11TH DISTRICT 2008 LEADERSHIP SLATE” touting only the delegate candidates she wanted elected (the first two being named Gibbs). The use of her Party office in the title (where she is required, by rule, to preside impartially) was improper. The Secretary of State can vote in an election he runs, but to use his office to promote any candidate is a clear violation of ethics. That’s what Ruth was doing as the chief election officer in the 11th. The flyer was, according to Lori Sotelo, paid for by District Funds. That, too, was improper. Every member of the State Legislature and the Department of Elections can vote and campaign as individuals for candidates for public office, but the use of their elective offices for promotional purposes is unethical, improper and a violation of law. Ruth Gibbs is a Party official ratified by vote and her district administration members were all acting as the (supposedly impartial) election officers in this caucus election. Ruth used their positions to favor one side in the election and it was blatantly unethical in precisely the same way.

The first sentence of the Gibbs Slate flyer said, “The 11th District Recommends the following individuals to be elected as Delegates to the the (sic) Washington State 2008 Convention…” Ruth Gibbs (despite what she may think) is not the 11th District. In order for her sentence to even be true there had to have been a call to a meeting where the whole district was given the chance to vote on delegate recommendations or, somehow deputized Ruth or her hand-picked Committee with the power to make such a decision. I can find no evidence that such meeting ever took place. Ruth has declined to return my call. But it doesn’t matter (except as a matter of truthfulness) if such a vote ever took place. It would be improper anyway. The PCOs, themselves subject to public election, have the same duty, in the case of a Convention or Caucus, to act impartially as does their Chair (Ruth). Such a “recommendation” as the sentence claims would be a violation of that duty.

It was unethical and improper.

Candidates have a right to have their candidacy for State Delegate considered objectively on its own merits. That right was taken away in the 11th District.

Ron Paul delegates were specifically targeted, just as Pat Robertson delegates (including Ruth) were targeted twenty years ago. I remember being told back then by a Party Insider that “the Pat Robertson people” were going to vote for Pat Robertson for President in the general election, but COMMUNIST on everything else. The same image is being created for Ron Paul supporters.

The Reagan Wing has been a part of an effort to create delegate slates in every Washington Legislative District that include candidates from all the presidential campaigns that pledge to oppose amnesty for illegals, support the right to life from conception to natural death, and oppose “environmentalist” land and energy seizures. We have former supporters of Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, and current supporters of Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. In the 11th the conservative slate included several Ron Paul Delegates. Gibbs’ slate had been cleansed of every Ron Paul supporter.

Don’t get me wrong. There were some great people on the Gibbs slate and I don’t hold them responsible for what happened.

I know for a fact that the Paul delegates, recognizing that they were in a minority on the issue, had agreed to drop vocal opposition to the Iraq war. But an early candidate speech in Ruth’s district called the conservative slate the “Ron Paul” slate and almost every speaker on Ruth’s greenslate baited the Paul Delegates on the War. Every one of Ruth’s invited speakers spoke at length on the war. NOT ONE of them spoke against John McCain’s radical environmentalist, anti-Republican “Global Warming” energy rationing, his restrictions on free speech or his illegal alien welfare spending. Not one opposed his GOVERNMENT FUNDING for the destruction of Human embryos.

The message was as clear, Saturday, as it was 20 years ago. Newcomers are NOT WELCOME in the Republican Party.

And what, if this continues, will be the result? The Ron Paul Campaign can put more than 20,000 new feet on the ground in Washington State campaigning in 2008. When I walked into the State Ron Paul Campaign for the first time, weeks ago, they were passing out Dino Rossi bumper stickers alongside Ron Paul literature. They still are. But their participation is tenuous – with good reason.

10,000 new people campaigning for Dino Rossi for Washington Governor. Think about that. They have agreed to drop the War as an issue. Think about that. The campaign is preaching against third Party action and telling them to stay in the GOP. Think about that. Think about that new impact on the Democrat/Republican balance of power in this state.

Saturday, Ruth Gibbs, using Young/Sotelo dirty tricks, gave new people the same greeting she, herself, got in 1988:

25 Responses

[…] S.D. Watch – S.D. Watch wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptRuth Gibbs opens GOP Establishment hunting season on Ron Paul delegates March 4, 2008 by Doug Parris Saturday, I watched as Washington State’s eleventh Legislative District Republicans held their caucus. If it is any indication of what is to follow we’ll get to watch John McCain defeat Dino Rossi this year. It was the first of 49 legislative districts to elect delegates to the State Convention (in various ways), thus beginning the second stage of a five-step caucus/convention process t […]

Lots of lessons learned here. Not only for the Ron Paul campaign, but for the conservative movement in King County as well. We’ve seen Ruth Gibbs with a full head of steam on both sides–ours and theirs. But it seems she’s only effective on theirs.

It has been at least a dozen years since I have worked with Ruth at a State Convention. It always seemed to me, though professing to be with the right, she was always working for the left. Even in her affiliations with Christian Coalition.

Hers is not a lonely biography. It is typical of those who want to be on the right side but also move in the network of power. Many Christians are caught in this trap. Maybe they think God will notice their profession but not notice they also worship at the temple of Baal.

A time is coming soon to America, when you will either be on the right or the left. But it will be very hard to stand while straddling the fence.

Whoever you are, I would highly recommend that you call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx before you put out your comments about me and events about which you know nothing except lies that someone babbles on their website.

You are welcome to conatact me anytime for the truth. False statements made in writing are called libel.

Ruth Gibbs

cominus replied:

Ruth,

Thank you for the contact. There is no reason to debate this: I remember you well. You need to consider whom you serve, the god of political power, or the God who created everything and reigns above all authority, now and forever.

Furthermore, you are in the political arena: you know things will be said about you whether true or false. “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen” is the slogan. By tracking me down, you have just confirmed your political activity is all about you and not the God you profess to serve. Remember, Jesus Christ declared all authority in heaven and earth had been given Him and we are to declare His truth to all nations and make disciples – not accumulate fame for ourselves.

You are in my prayers.

Dean Isaacson

If Doug’s account was lies, and if my comments were an enforcement of those lies, Ruth should have had the fortitude to debate these points in public. Instead she chose the road to hammer us in private where she does not have to win with the truth but can win via intimidation. That is sad.

Furthermore, Ruth, the Supreme Court has already upheld that false statements in the political arena are not libel — much less chance for telling the truth. Why not spend your efforts intimidating squishy mainstreamers, instead of beating on the heads of those who stand for the truth?

It IS sad that some of those entrusted with positions of power in the GOP would use it inappropriately. Ruth must know that her blatant partisanship will lead to a challenge and that the result will be the disqualification of her slate.

Fortunately, the officers of the Party in Whatcom remember their duty and have made every effort to be fair and welcoming to the influx of new conservatives to the Party.

But what of a legal slate for the 11th.
Who will represent the 11th when Ruths slate is disallowed because of her actions?

Notice, she doesn’t at all set out to prove the charges here are false, just claims that they are. But she has a litany of slanders against Ron Paul (taking his positions out of context), and against his supporters, and most of all against Doug.

If Ron Paul is the “marginal” candidate they claim, and if we’re in such a minority, you gotta wonder what she feels so threatened about.

I have got to say I in agreement that the Ron Paul campaign never posed a threat and I find it odd that Ruth is so up in arms about them. However, if Mr. Parris is dabbling in another districts business that is unacceptable.

This is more than just a case of senior v freshman. We’ve got a real nut case on our hands. Maybe she’ll do us a favor and stress herself into a heart attack. (We could also hope John McCain’s health goes back to the hosptial) What, that wasn’t very Christian of me? Well, I guess that’s politics. Be nice? Well in the words of Ruth, “I don’t have to.”

First let’s suspend the proposed convention rules and argue for Robert’s Rules as the onlly required ones.

Also are there rules about a quorum the WSRCC has not told us about? I want a warning because at the KCConvention the meeting was stopped, “not a quorum,” even tho 831 of 954 were still there– 87 percent! Let’s define a quorum at the beginning of the meeting.

I don’t want to hear political speakers. I don’t want latecomers admitted.

“However, if Mr. Parris is dabbling in another districts business that is unacceptable.”

These caucuses are open to the public, which includes anybody who lives in any district. There is nothing “unacceptable” about his advising any of their delegates either. On the other hand, Michael Young chaired district caucuses that were not his own. This was in spite of the fact that he holds a position in the John McCain campaign, and that information was not fully disclosed to the delegates.

Re: “dabbling in other districts”:
Huh?
What was the Evergreen Freedom Foundation doing there promoting McCain?
The “out of district” representatives of the Presidential Campaigns?

By contrast, what was Ruth Gibbs doing when she came to my 32nd District Caucus and, as Parliamentarian, facilitated blatant Parliamentary Cheating by a team composed of KCGOP out-of-district operators?

[…] Parris On March 4, by publishing an article about Ruth Gibbs’ 11th District GOP Caucus (Ruth Gibbs opens GOP hunting season on Ron Paul delegates), I drove Ruth into her obsessive/compulsive mode and she began working to discredit me and the […]

Unfortunately, I got to see just what you were talking about first hand at the Republican Convention in Spokane over the weekend.

I didnt appreciate her walking up to us and telling me and my husband not to vote for Ron Paul because…. (My ears shut down after she started naming her reasons)

Thankfully, she later returned to apologize. I didnt want to walk away from my first state convention with a bad taste in my mouth nor give me the impression on what Republicans are really like behind the scenes.

After all, we werent there to debate! It just made me walk away refreshed and to fight even harder for our candidate!

God Bless America & Lord help us all!
Paula

2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will
I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their
land.”